 |
Writer in Residence Programs
 One of the great thrills of stepping into a new direction is not knowing where the road might lead. Since I wrote my first book, Michigan, An Illustrated History for Children, fourteen years ago, many unexpected opportunities and challenges have come my way. Perhaps the greatest surprise to me has been the simultaneous development as a writer and an educator. For while my depth of knowledge and ability as a writer increased with each of the three subsequent books, so too did my ability to teach history and writing, as I have had the honor of working as a Writer in Residence in hundreds of schools along the way. These trials by fire helped me develop an effective program that teaches kids Great Lakes history while they learn to write.
Full-Week Program:
In the course of my full-week Writer in Residence program, every student creates a piece of historical fiction based in Michigan during the early 1600's. The knowledge students gain through a series of historical presentations is crafted into a detailed story about a time when Native American people ruled the Great Lakes region. Students love to imagine living in the woods and on the water, and given a structure and facts they find interesting to work with, the stories they write are always good, and often remarkable.
Typically the school week begins with a presentation to all upper elementary students and teachers, where I introduce myself as an author and the methods I use to research and write my books. The balance of the day is spent with those participating in the core writing project, usually 3-4 classes, each with 20-25 students, from grades 3-5.
Student writers immediately begin to develop images of life in a Native American village. The rest of the week I schedule five groups each day in 50 minute sessions. I meet at least once a day with the core writing groups, and we continue to explore Great Lakes history and to build the stories. If time permits, I am happy to present to classes not participating in the writing project during any remaining 50 minute sessions. Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
- Native American use of birch bark
- Travel by water
- The fur trade
- The four Great Lakes Indian nations - Iroquois, Huron, Algonquian, Sioux
- The Iroquois Confederation and the United States Constitution
- The Petoskey Stone and the prehistoric Great Lakes
- Bookmaking and Four Color Printing
- Vocabulary driven writing
- Native American Months
Other popular topics for my week long writing programs include the Michigan Lumbering Era, 1865-1910, Frontier Michigan, 1800-1837, The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and others. My one week program is the one I prefer to teach, for it allows me the time to improve the writing ability and historical knowledge of all my students. Most week long writing programs conclude with the production of a book including all student writers' works.
During the past several years, I have had the pleasure of working a week or longer in the following schools, and offer them as references for my writing programs. Click on the school name to view letters of recommendation.
Angell Elementary
1608 S. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Robin Jackson, Principal
Tara Webster, Coordinator
Bach Elementary
600 W. Jefferson
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Shelley Bruder, Principal
Educators Cuadill, Tarchinski
Columbiaville Elementary
4775 Pine
Columbiaville, MI 48421
Robert Pepera, Principal
Burns Park Elementary
1414 Wells
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Kathy Morhous, Principal
Educators Wall, Copes, Barber.
Dicken Elementary
2135 Runnymede
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Interlochen Elementary
PO Box 32
Traverse City, MI
Barb Prior, Coordinator
Lakewood Elementary
344 Gralake
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Pat O'Neill, Principal
Sue Bright, Coordinator
Lakeland Elementary
616 Buckley
Elk Rapids, MI 49629
Terry Starr, Principal
Mitchell Elementary
3550 Pittsview
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Susan Lewis, Principal
Pittsfield Elementary
2543 Pittsfield
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Mary Anne Jaeger, Principal
West Kelloggsville Elementary
4555 Magnolia SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
Jeff Owen, Principal
Wines Elementary
1701 Newport
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Current Project:
I am currently working in Leelanau County schools in collaboration with the Leelanau Historical Society's History Writing Program thanks to a grant from the Ed & Virginia Ball Foundation. To see photos and read newspaper articles related to this program please click the links below.
One-Day Program:
During a one-day program I reserve five sessions a day. Typically I combine several large audience presentations to various grade levels and several more detailed presentations to smaller grade specific groups. This program can be modified to accommodate the goals of each individual school.
For More Information:
Please feel free to call me at (231)271-6821 or email me. Sincerely, John Mitchell
Click To See More Classroom Photos
|
|
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
| 
|
|
